Clothespin



y 1959 J. P. RUSSO ET AL 2,885,758

CLOTHESPIN Filed May 15, 1958 INVENTORS, Jae/r P Russo MIL 701v ELL/5ATTORNEYS,

U i d S at Q atn CLOTHESPIN Jack P. Russo and Milton Ellis, Peekskill,N.Y. Application May 15, 1958, Serial No. 735,615

4 Claims. c1. 24138) The present invention relates to clothespins, andparticularly to clothespins of the type which are normally retained onthe clothesline.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a clothespin havingmeans for retaining the clothespin on a clothesline while theclothesline is moved around a pulley.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clothespin formed of anintegral cast structure while providing a spring tension clasp forsecuring the pin to the clothesline and for securing clothes in theclothespin.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clothespin of theclass described above having means thereon for clamping the clothespinto a clothesline in a manner to prevent rotational movement of the pinon the line.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a clothespin ofthe class described above which is inexpensive to manufacture, easy touse, and which effectively secures clothes to the clothesline fordrying.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the followingspecification when considered in the light of the attached drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a clothes pulley andclothesline illustrating the invention attached thereto.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical cross-section taken along the line 2-2of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical cross-section taken along the line 33of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a transverse section taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 3,looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse section taken along theline 55 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the clothespin.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 3, illustrating a modified form ofthe invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like referencecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several figures, thereference numeral 10 indicates generally a clothespin constructed inaccordance with the invention.

The clothespin 10 is used with a rope clothesline 11 having its oppositeends supported in a pulley 12 mounted on a yoke 13. A pivot pin 14secures the pulley 12 to the yoke 13 for rotary movement thereon.

The clothespin 10 is formed of a suitable plastic and includes a pair ofelongated lever members 15, 16 arranged in spaced apart generallyparallel relation and integrally connected adjacent their mid-portionsby an arcuate spring forming bar 17. The lever members 15, 16 aretransversely curved on their outer faces and have their adjacent facessubstantially flat. The lever members 15, 16 have their opposite endstapering in- 2,885,758 Patented May 12, 1959 ice wardly to give theclothespin 10 the approximate shape of a cigar.

The lever members 15, 16 are provided with handle extensions 18, 19respectively at one end. The lever 15, at the end thereof opposite thehandle 18, is provided with an inwardly extending transverse tooth 20.The lever 16, at the end thereof opposite the handle portion 19, isprovided with a pair of spaced apart transverse teeth 21 which engage onopposite sides of the tooth 20, as best seen in Figure 2, to providemeans for grasping clothes therebetween.

Between the arcuate spring bar 17 and the teeth 20, 21, the lever 15, onthe side thereof adjacent the lever 16, is provided with an inwardlysloping portion 22 closely adjacent the spring bar 17. The lever 16 isprovided with an inwardly sloping portion 23 arranged in opposedrelation to the portion 22.

The sloping portions 22, 23 are each provided with a pair of spacedapart transversely extending teeth 24 arranged to bite in and grip therope 11 to prevent the clothespin 10 from turning thereon.

The arcuate spring bar 17, sloped portions 22, 23, and teeth 20, 21 arelongitudinally arcuately grooved as at 25 on each side of the clothespin10, as can be best seen in Figure 4, to permit the rope 11 to lieclosely to the side of the clothespin 10 while passing around the pulley12.

In Figure 7 a modified form of the invention is illustrated wherein aclothespin 10a is provided with spaced apart lever members 15a, 16aintegrally connected by an arcuate spring bar 17a intermediate theopposite ends thereof. A flat metallic spring 26 is embedded in thelevers 15a, 16a and extends through the spring bar 17a to provideadditional spring tensioning means for the clothespin 10a.

In the use and operation of the invention, the clothespin 10 has thehandle portions 18, 19 pressed together to open the inwardly slopedportions 22, 23 as wide as possible and the clothespin 10 is then forceddownwardly onto the rope 11 so that the rope 11 moves upwardly betweenthe inwardly sloped surfaces 22, 23 and lodges against the transversearcuate spring bar 17, as shown in Figure 2.

The teeth 24 become embedded in the rope 11 preventing the clothespin 10from turning on the rope 11. Clothes are grasped between the teeth 20,21 by opening the clothespin 10 pressing on the handle portions 18, 19thereof and releasing so that the spring tension from the spring bar 17presses the teeth 20, 21 together to grip the clothes.

The cigar shape of the clothespin 10 assists in guiding the clothespin10 into the pulley 12 so that the clothespin can pass through the yoke13 supporting the pulley 12 without snagging or becoming dislodged fromthe rope 11. Obviously, the clothespins 10 only pass around the pulley12 after the clothes have been disengaged from the teeth 20, 21.

It should be understood that as many teeth 20, 21 as are required aswell as other structural modifications and adaptations may be resortedto without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A clothespin for use on endless clotheslines of the type including aline trained around a pair of spaced pulleys for movement therearound,comprising a pair of levers, each of said levers having an outer faceand an inner face, said inner faces of said levers being in spaced apartconfronting relation, an arcuate spring bar integrally connecting saidinner faces of said levers intermediate the opposite ends thereof, meansadjacent said arcuate spring bar on said inner faces of said levers forgripping said levers for grasping clothes therebetween, said arcuatespring bar, said means for gripping said line and said means forgrasping said clothes each being longitudinally arcuately grooved onopposite sides of said clothespin whereby said line will lie closely tosaid sides of said clothespin while said clothespin is passing aroundsaid pulley.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said levers has itsouter face transversely arcuately curved whereby said outer faces willnest more readily in the grooves of said pulleys to facilitate passagethereabout.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said levers each have theopposite ends thereof tapered to assist in guiding said clothespins intothe grooves of said pulleys.

4. A device as claimedin claim 3 wherein said means for gripping saidline comprise a plurality of transversely extending teeth formedintegrally on said confronting inner faces of each of said levers forengaging in said line to prevent rotation of said clothespin about saidline, said teeth when engaging in said line being substantially parallelto the longitudinal axis of said line.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS810,704 Borneman Jan. 23, 1906 1,916,856 Copeman July 4, 1933 1,928,536Heinlen et a1. Sept. 26, 1933 2,255,467 Kabriel Sept. 9, 1941 2,779,076Schenek Jan. 29, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 433,611 Italy Apr. 10, 1948496,093 Belgium June 30, 1950 549,677 Great Britain Dec. 2, 1942 646,615Great Britain Nov. 22, 1950

